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1. What is the mission of the Jackson Hole Community School?
The Jackson Hole Community School is a small independent, ninth to twelfth grade school that prepares students of diverse backgrounds for college and life beyond. We offer challenging academics, excellence in teaching, an array of extracurricular activities, and a supportive culture. Our students are invested in their learning, value personal initiative, and make thoughtful contributions to their community.
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2. Where is the school located? Describe the facilities.
JHCS occupies the southwest corner of the Flat Creek Business Center, located at 1715 High School Road. This location is across from Jackson Hole High School (JHHS) and is adjacent to the public playing fields that are east of Colter Elementary School. The facility currently includes teaching classrooms, a science lab, a common area, a library, and wireless capabilities throughout the building.
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3. How many students attend JHCS? What grades are offered?
JHCS has 70 students in grades 9-12. The school will grow to a maximum of 95 students.
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4. Describe the JHCS curriculum.
JHCS offers a rigorous academic curriculum and provides support to students to ensure their success. Students take courses in the core subject areas: English, Social Studies, Math, Science, Foreign Language, and the Arts. As an independent school, JHCS is able to utilize talented community members and thereby offer a rich menu of electives, such as creative writing, photography, Mandarin Chinese, and interactive Web media (See the JHCS Curriculum Guide). In addition to their core academics, all students participate in community service learning, and senior students undertake a project in an area of interest during their last semester at JHCS. Attention to and support for individual students is achieved through small class sizes, along with the faculty / student advisory, tutoring, and college counseling programs.
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5. What makes JHCS different?
o Small class sizes (the average class size at JHCS is 10 students)
o Individualized attention
o Faculty advisory groups
o School-wide "town hall" meetings
o Wireless internet capability throughout the school
o Student / Faculty Honor Council
o Environmental care program
o All-school overnight trips at beginning and end of each year
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6. What extra-curricular activities are offered?
Each student must participate in one (1) extracurricular activity and one (1) sport or the equivalent per school year. JHCS offers one or more athletic equivalents per season, ranging from rock climbing to lacrosse. Students can also meet the requirement through participation in activities and athletics at JHHS or through volunteering, theater, or an internship or job. Individualized athletic programs, such as dance, figure skating, or skiing, may fulfill part of the yearly requirement. JHCS also provides advisors to a variety of clubs, which are run and managed by students.
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7. What type of schedule is used?
Students at JHCS take six academic classes for the entire year. JHCS uses two different daily schedules throughout the week. Three days each week, the day is split into six 50-minute periods with a 40-minute lunch and a 50-minute study hall. On the remaining two days, students have three (or four) academic classes that meet for 75 minutes each. In addition, on these two days all students have a meetings block in which they can receive one-on-one extra help or be part of a club; spend some time in Advisory; and help to clean the school.
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8. How is the school accredited?
JHCS is in the process of receiving accreditation from the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS). For the 2009-2010 school year, JHCS had "Candidate" status with PNAIS. The process to become an Accredited Member of PNAIS takes 5-8 years.
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9. How will the new school status affect college admissions?
JHCS offers a challenging, comprehensive curriculum and as a result its students will be well prepared for college. The Director of College Counseling and JHCS faculty are pro-active with college admissions offices on behalf of their students. We also utilize the PNAIS resources to articulate the school's curriculum and program to college admissions offices. JHCS has graduated four classes, and our students have been accepted to an impressive array of schools. To see where our students have been accepted, please click on the college acceptance link on our homepage.
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10. What is the tuition? Are scholarships and financial aid available?
The tuition for JHCS is $14,740. Building a diverse student body is central to the JHCS mission and philosophy. Scholarships and financial aid are available, based on need. For the 2010-2011 school year, approximately 60 percent of the students will receive financial gifts worth over $500,000. To learn more about financial aid and scholarships, please visit the admissions page of our website.
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